photo for the Mac is a storage hog . It likes to say and write from its computer storage with abandon , no matter how much retentiveness you have . Because a Photos library can become quite large — mine apparently pushes 500GB — you may have recur as I did by storing your depository library on an international drive .

Or , if you have a eminent - capacity inauguration volume that holds your Photos depository library , that storage may be a Fusion drive , Apple ’s now - retired technique of pair a slow hard drive with a low - content , super - fast SSD .

You might be quick for the switching to SSD , which you’re able to now do without breaking the cant .

Pick an affordable SSD for mid-range performance

If you ’re like me , you reached a decimal point of frustration with hard disc speeds with a big Photos library . Despite the exceptional carrying into action of my M1 Mac mini and the outside Thunderbolt 3 - relate SSD startup drive I use , Photos can take X of seconds to several arcminute to accomplish sure labor because of the excessive driveway access required .

You might also be in the same boat that you ca n’t afford or apologize the price of a 2 TB or higher storage capacity SSD with the form of performance you want in a single startup volume . ( Consult my clause “ How to start up your M1 Mac from an external drive ” for details on switching to an external ride with an M1 - series Mac with a 1 TB SSD , and my more universal advice in “ An External SSD Gave My iMac a New Lease on Life . ” )

There ’s good word , however . The continued development of SSD utilization mean cost keep falling on miserable - capacity movement . you may buy a well - reviewedSamsung T5 press mid - range SSD with 1 TB capacityfor $ 120 . This can let you have the good of multiple Earth . It ’s delightfully lilliputian — about as thick as a pop music - Tart and a footprint that ’s half that goody ’s surface area .

SAMSUNG T5 Portable SSD – 1TB

This ride and others in its class use a SATA user interface , which maxes out at about 600 mebibyte / s ( 4.8 Gbps ) over a USB 3.1 connection , but in practice perform slightly worse . The Samsung above essay out at about 425 MiB / s ( 3.4 Gbps ) for reading and writing — which is 10 time faster than the hard crusade storage you were using to hold your Photos library .

More expensive NMVe / PCIe - based SSDs can work several time faster . My startup movement use a Thunderbolt 3 enclosure and an NMVe SSD , which in active use as the startup loudness performs at about 1,000 MiB / s ( 1 GB / s ) in writing tests and 2,000 MB / s ( 2 GB / s ) for read . The cost can be two to three times as much for the same capacity as a SATA driving force , however .

( To get tweaky , USB 3.1 Gen 2 has a top rate of 10 Gbps or 1,250 MB / s , so you do n’t need Thunderbolt 3 or 4 with a SATA movement . For an NVMe SSD that can have gigabyte per instant , Thunderbolt 3 or 4 is a must with up to 40 Gbps or 5 Great Britain / s throughput . )

Migrate your Photos library to SSD

If you call up this move is for you , here ’s how to make the transition :

Once everything has process , you ’ll be left with zippier access to stored photo and immensely faster editing controls .

Ask Mac 911

We ’ve compile a listing of the questions we get asked most frequently , along with answers and links to columns :   read our super FAQ   to see if your question is brood . If not , we ’re always looking for new trouble to figure out ! e-mail yours tomac911@macworld.com , including screen captures as appropriate and whether you desire your full name used . Not every question will be answered , we do n’t reply to email , and we can not provide direct troubleshooting advice .